My Story

Tunaja is a small area of the state of Quiché, Guatemala. The inhabitants are Quiché Mayans who trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization. The prevalent language is the Mayani dialect - Quiché. The people are either farmers or shepherds and live off the fruits of their labors. Very little money ever changes hands as they use a barter system. Public education is available - however, most families cannot afford it. Electricity and running water are not available in most of the area. Life in Tunaja is difficult.

Hello! I am Hector Sebastian. I turned 8 years old on May 25. I was born in Zacualpa, Quiche in 2015. I enjoy good health. I am a second grader at school this year. Thankfully, I am not repeating. My favorite color is blue and I like chickens. I love eating fried chicken. In my free time, I like spending it playing football. I have two brothers and two sisters.

My father´s name is Hector Cux Gonzales. Sadly, he passed away 6 years ago due to cancer. My mother´s name is Maria Elena Ruiz de la Cruz. She struggles to support us by weaving typical blankets for selling. She had another partner. His name was Victor Gutierrez. Nevertheless, she ended her relationship with him one year ago. Nowadays, she does not have any relationship. As a family, we are not attending any church at the moment. I hope my mother takes the decision to attend soon.

We do not own a house, but my uncle gives us a house to live in. He does not ask my mother for rent. It is a two-room house with a kitchen made of adobe, tin sheet roof and cemented floor. My mother pays monthly for the electricity service. We have an artisanal well where we get water for our consumption. That is why we do not pay for the service. There are also chickens at home. Our greatest necessity is food. I enjoy attending the feeding program. Two sisters, one brother and I have to walk for around 25 minutes to be in the program. Well, this is a short story of my life. Thank you for taking the time to read it. May God bless you even more! I send hugs from the distance!

Best regards from now on,

Hector Sebastian Cux Ruiz

Translated by: Mireya de Sadoval, AAC Secretary / Antigua